With the advent of miniaturized digital technology, it is now possible to reduce the size of diagnostic devices to a hand-held or portable case-like size. For instance, it is now possible to reduce the size of an oscilloscope to a device that fits in the palm of one""s hand. Also, diagnostic ultrasound imaging devices are also being produced which are small enough to carry as readily as a book. The diagnostic data obtained by these devices is typically an image or graphical display or numerical data.
The convenience which these smaller, lighter devices offer results in their expanded use, often times by persons less skilled than in the past. Specifically, rescuers in an emergency situation may be required to use portable ultrasound diagnostic devices, such as a hand-held oscilloscope, to perform specific diagnostic procedures. However, once the rescuers obtain the diagnostic data from a patient using the diagnostic device, often times these rescuers do not have adequate training to determine from the diagnostic data a medical treatment the patient needs. Thus, while persons less skilled can obtain the diagnostic data, assessment of the diagnostic data obtained needs to be performed by someone not present at the field examination.
Accordingly, the rescuer or user would read the diagnostic data from an ultrasound device or oscilloscope and enter the data in a personal computer (PC), for instance, which requires a certain degree of expertise from the user. Further, manually entering the diagnostics obtained from either an ultrasound device or oscilloscope into the PC creates an uncertain degree of inaccuracy and mistake. While portable ultrasound diagnostic devices exist with serial interfaces, these devices require a connection to a PC to a serial interface, and therefore, require a person skilled in the use of specialized software to run the PC to extract the diagnostic data from the hand-held diagnostic device.
Thus, it is necessary to develop an evaluation system allowing for individualized evaluation configurations and a centralized hierarchy so large computer resources are not necessary at the user""s end in order to make an adequate determination of the treatment for the patient, for instance, based on diagnostic data obtained from the patient. The evaluation system may also be used to obtain evaluation configurations from devices or systems such as electronic devices or vehicles. Further, an evaluation system is needed that allows authorized users to enter new diagnostic data and edit and view existing diagnostic data, including searching for diagnostic data within available databases at another location.
In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides for an apparatus including a portable ultrasound diagnostic device dynamically collecting diagnostic data and transmitting the diagnostic data using a communication channel to a person at another location to analyze the diagnostic data.
The present invention also provides an apparatus including a portable ultrasound diagnostic device dynamically collecting diagnostic data from a patient; and a user interface where a user commands the portable ultrasound diagnostic device to transmit the diagnostic data via a communication channel in the portable ultrasound diagnostic device once collecting the diagnostic data from the patient is complete, to a person at another location to analyze the diagnostic data.
The present invention is also achieved by a method including connecting a portable ultrasound diagnostic device to a patient; dynamically collecting diagnostic data from the patient; transmitting the diagnostic data using a communication channel to a person at another location once collecting the diagnostic data from the patient is complete; and receiving and analyzing the diagnostic data.
The present invention is also achieved by a method including connecting a portable ultrasound diagnostic device to a patient; dynamically collecting diagnostic data from the patient; connecting the portable ultrasound diagnostic device to a connector once collecting the diagnostic data from the patient is complete; transmitting the diagnostic data using a communication channel to a person at another location; and analyzing the diagnostic data and determining therefrom a medical treatment for the patient.